Loom woven cloth

I studied Textile Design at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts (BDes Hons 2014), where sustainable design considerations underpinned our exploration of materiality and process.

Establishing a design weave practice enables me to continue to explore the potential of natural fibres, particularly strong and undyed New Zealand wool yarns, in contemporary woven cloth. Chosing undyed yarns means most of my works are monochromatic and so form, texture and the interplay of light and shadow are important design elements.

I weave a small range of homewares on a 16 shaft Ashford table loom, and a 24 shaft AVL Compudobby IV loom beautifully crafted in California from American Ash… a wonderful interface of mechanical and digital technologies. Like all looms, and the musical instruments they resemble, they require care and tuning to play at their best. As I get aquainted with these beautiful machines, they have become an extension of my thinking and of my hands.

My head knows the wonder of woven structures, my hands the joy of weaving, and my soul belongs in the land that nurtures us. I hope my work connects with and nurtures you too.

 Fibre choice

I feel a profound connection to this land. Sourcing undyed strong wool yarns, grown and processed entirely within Aotearoa New Zealand, is fundamental to the ethos and quality of Niche's woven wool products. Since 2014 I have championed these yarns in my work and to my students. Knowing the provenance of these yarns assures me I am supporting farmers who care for the land they have stewardship of with initiatives such as replanting programmes and restoring waterways. Wool's remarkable portfolio of performance and sustainability characteristics is enhanced by selecting wool from naturally coloured sheep. As well as offering a timeless colour palette, avoiding dyeing significantly reduces water and energy use.

For kitchen and bathroom wares the appropriate yarns to utilise are cellulosics. So for these applications, requiring strength and absorbency, I carefully source yarns from off-shore spun from unbleached and undyed fibres including paper, hemp and certified organic cotton and linen.

 My niche - experimentation

Influenced by an earlier degree in Plant Physiology (BSc Hons Canterbury University, 1986) and work in an R&D environment, my practice is grounded in experimentation, applying an iterative design methodology. Observation, curiosity and a desire to solve problems are fundamental to my practice. A growing fluency with my materials palette and loom weaving processes enables a respect for their constraints while exploring new possibilities. By interrogating materials and disrupting conventional loom weaving tools and processes I resolve innovative samples and textile forms within projects and collaborations.

I thank my teachers, mentors, family and friends who support me and who share a wider appreciation of the knowledge, skills and ingenuity of craft practitioners.

With loom weaving I have found my niche - the place where I belong and can contribute from.

- Christine Brimer, Designer/Weaver, Niche Textile Studio